


New Year's Eve

by Fisticuffsandjapery



Category: Emmerdale
Genre: M/M, robron - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-07
Updated: 2015-12-07
Packaged: 2018-05-05 13:27:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,589
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5376920
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fisticuffsandjapery/pseuds/Fisticuffsandjapery
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>'It shouldn’t have mattered.</p><p>It really shouldn’t have mattered to Aaron whether or not Robert was avoiding him, but it did.  And soon, Aaron found himself hoping to bump into him.  Trying to find moments that he could hold the Sugden man’s gaze for longer than a second or two.  It was driving him up the wall.</p><p>His opportunity finally came on New Year’s Eve.'</p>
            </blockquote>





	New Year's Eve

Aaron found it weird.

  
In theory he knew Robert was bad news.  He’d spend months hating him for fuck’s sake.  And he was definitely okay with that.  And fine, when Robert had got shot there may have been a split second where he hadn’t wanted it all to end that way, but it had been just that.  A split second.  Because, between trying to cover up what he thought his mum had done and looking over his shoulder everyday he was in prison, he hadn’t had time to think about Robert and the shooting.  And he refused to even acknowledge the ache in his chest when Robert had entered, no strolled into, the court room to hear his plea.  And when the fucking twat had to go on and rile him up so much that he’d had a burst of anger, Aaron vowed to himself he would feel nothing but hate for that man.

  
But Robert had got him out of prison with a fake statement.  Even still, he made sure to tell Robert he hated him, because saying it out aloud meant it was true.

  
But after the deal, after Robert had helped Doug to get off his case about his mum, something had shifted.  He wasn’t sure what but they had reached a weird understanding.  Robert had come through for him and suddenly all the anger that he was holding towards the blonde man thawed a little.

  
That most certainly didn’t mean that he had forgiven the other man.  But every time he’d happen to bump into Robert in the café or in the pub or anywhere in village in fact, he expected something to happen.  Expected Robert to come up to him, make a snide or dare say it, a flirty comment.  But he didn’t.  It was more of a quick nod, an acknowledgement that he had seen Aaron.  If they had to walk past each other, Aaron noticed Robert would give him a wide birth.  Like he didn’t want to risk touching the younger man.

  
It shouldn’t have mattered.

  
It really shouldn’t have mattered to Aaron whether or not Robert was avoiding him, but it did.  And soon, Aaron found himself hoping to bump into him.  Trying to find moments that he could hold the Sugden man’s gaze for longer than a second or two.  It was driving him up the wall.

  
His opportunity finally came on New Year’s Eve.

* * *

  
  
Aaron wasn’t in the mood for night out.  He’d just visited his mum at the psychiatric unit and they were talking about her upcoming discharge.  Aaron was wondering if the pub would be the best place for her.  He had wanted to talk to Paddy about the possibility of Chas moving in with him and Rhona but they had gone away for the holidays with Leo.  Adam had told him to leave it and just have a night off.

  
His best friend had dragged him out to Bar West first, under the pretence that it was going to be a lad’s night.  An hour and three beers later, they headed to the club.  Aaron scoffed to himself when he had heard Victoria’s familiar voice.

  
“Aaron!  Adam!  Fancy seeing you here!”  She hugged them both before gesturing with a quick hand.  “We thought it would be silly to sit in on New Year’s Eve when everyone else was out having fun.”

  
We?  Aaron thought to himself, and sure enough, Robert Sugden appeared in his eye line.  Aaron raised his eyebrows at Adam, accusingly.  All Adam could do was shrug back and mouth ‘have fun’, before he pulled Victoria to the dance floor.

  
There was a moment of hesitation.  Robert’s eyes found his for a brief second before he turned to look at the heaving dance floor.  Aaron kept his eyes on him.  He knew he was making the other man feel uneasy, but Aaron didn’t care.

  
“I-I’m going to head to the bar a get a drink, you want one,” Robert finally said before making off in the direction of the crowd.  He didn’t even wait for Aaron’s answer.

  
Aaron clenched his jaw before he followed him.  He’d had enough.

  
Robert seemed genuinely surprised when Aaron appeared at the bar moments later.

  
Aaron smirked at the idea he had caught Robert unaware.  “I’ll have a beer.”

  
Robert nodded and asked for a beer to be added on to his order.

  
The nervous, silent, energy between them annoyed Aaron.  This wasn’t them.  He bit his bottom lip before speaking again.  “How are you?  I’m fine.  Thanks for asking.  How about you?”

  
“Huh?”  Robert looked confused.

  
“It’s called normal conversation, Robert.”

  
“Right…”  Robert tapped a finger on the bar as if he was wishing the barman would hurry up.  This pissed Aaron off even more.

  
Aaron shook his head.  What was he expecting from his ex-lover exactly?  “What’s with you?  Why can’t you talk to me like a normal human being!?”

  
Robert faced him and looked directly at him for a full ten seconds.  Aaron couldn’t make out what he was thinking.  But there was something there that Aaron recognised.  He had that look enough times to know it by heart.  Broken.  Robert’s voice came out steady.  “I thought you hated me.”

  
“I do,” Aaron shot back automatically.  Robert smiled forcefully, looking thankful when the barman handed him the drinks.  He gives Aaron a bottle and turns to leave.  Something made Aaron stop him by grabbing his arm.  “I did.”

  
Robert froze in place but didn’t make any attempt to turn back.

  
Aaron tried again.  “You fancy step out for some air?”

 

* * *

 

It was cold and Aaron cursed himself for not grabbing his jacket from the cloakroom.  He shivered and he saw Robert automatically start shrugging off his own leather jacket before thinking better of it and slipping it back on over his shoulders.  Aaron let the fleeting thought of wearing Robert’s jacket out in public play on his mind for just a few seconds.  He grinned inwardly.  Chrissie would have gone nuts.

  
“What?”  Robert asked breaking though his internal amusement.

  
Aaron tilted his head up slightly.  “Were you going to offer me your jacket?”

  
“No.”  Robert shoved his hands into his pockets with what looked like a sudden interest in his shoes.  “Would you have taken it if I had?”

  
Aaron made a face.  “No.”  He watched the smokers huddle over a heating lamp.  Maybe this was a bad idea.  In his head stepping outside meant that they would be able to talk alone.  Without anyone watching.

  
Robert scrubbed his face with his hand.  “It wasn’t my idea to come.  Vic dragged me out.  I should have known that it would mean seeing you-”

  
“So you _have_ been avoiding me then?”

  
Robert sighed.  “I didn’t say that. I just don’t want to cause you any more grief.”

  
Aaron raised his voice slightly.  “Right.  So you’re doing it for me?  Why?”

“Why do you think?” Robert asked sarcastically.

“Because you knew it would mess with my head!”

  
Robert threw his hands in the air.  “No!  Because I know you’ll never look at me that way again!”

The smoking crowd stared.  Their conversation about which superhero was the best, came to a quick pause.  Aaron looked beyond Robert and stared right back until the discomfort made each of them look away.

  
“What are you talking about?”  Between the spectators and Robert he was down right confused.

  
Robert seemed to be on a roll now.  “You heard!  And if I have to live in that stupid village seeing you every day and live with myself for what I did to you, then fine.  But I want you to be happy.  That’s it.  That’s my big agenda!  Happy?”

Aaron nodded in disbelief.  “And you expect me to believe that?”

Robert drew out a breath he didn’t know he was holding in.  “Believe what you want.  It’s the truth.  I wouldn’t say it if I didn’t mean it.  You know me better than that.” 

Aaron’s jaw dropped as Robert’s eyes widened realising what he had just said.  The unsaid _‘I love you’_ from what seemed like another life time ago hung in the air.  Aaron hated the way his heart pounded so hard in his chest that he was convinced that Robert could hear it.  Fuck.  This was not supposed to happen.

Somewhere in the distance the New Year countdown had begun.  The smokers were long gone.  Either bored of the show or wanting to go back into the club. “10…9…8…7…6…5…”

Aaron couldn’t look away from Robert and the other man didn’t seem to want to either.

New Years Eve.

Aaron couldn’t help but flit his gaze to Robert’s slightly parted lips.  It would be so easy.  So easy to grab his stupid jacket and pull him in for that kiss.  Go back to how it was.  Forget everything that had happened and start again.

“4…3…”

Aaron could feel his body betraying him.  Maybe it was the buzz from the alcohol but he found himself leaning in.  He wet his lips.

“2…1!”

Robert grabbed the back of his neck lightly and Aaron let his eyes close.  He could feel Robert’s warm breath against his right ear.  “Happy New Year, Aaron,” he whispered before letting go.

Aaron opened his eyes waiting for the seemingly inevitable wave of disappointment.  But it never came.  Instead, something else crept in.

For the first time in a long time Aaron’s smile was directed straight at Robert.  “Happy New Year, Robert.”

 

**Author's Note:**

> I can’t give up hope that they will be together one day!
> 
> Would love some feedback seeing as this is my first Robron fic!
> 
> Thanks!


End file.
